we appreciate your time, hope to see you again at 6:00. tonight on "world news," the emergency, as the warnings go up. hurricane earl pulls closer to shore. people evacuate, backed up on the roads. the hostage crisis in maryland. discovery channel workers held by a gunman. babies rushed out of the building. we'll tell you how it ended. and, a warning about drinking and cancer. how much is a problem? and what kind? answers, after michael douglas speaks out. and, surprise. what has changed for women? for the first time in american history. good evening. hurricane earl is the real thing. a category 4 and tonight, just 24 hours from the mid-atlantic

shore. evacuations are under way in north carolina, where so many people had hoped to spend their last vacation of summer. north carolina, virginia, maryland, all under states of emergency tonight. and our steve osunsami is waiting for earl in hatteras. >> reporter: on hatteras island >> back to jersey. visitors from across the world were told the hurricane is >> pain in the butt. >> reporter: bill and his family were forced to abandon their two-week vacation and drive back to maryland tonight. >> rented a big house and they kicked us out this morning. >> reporter: a group of friends who planned to spend the week in this house is now on the road to canada. >> we're heading back to >> yes, 18 hours, straight. >> reporter: today, the one road off the island was a slow-moving mess. >> they won't let us stay. they're going to make us sit in this traffic. >> reporter: the storm is skirt the eastern coastline. but state officials worry it could change its mind. >> there have been times when

people have sworn to us that on top of us. >> reporter: fema is shipping bottled water, generators and 300,000 peoples to north carolina and massachusetts. >> we could see watches and warnings continue to move up the east coast. residents to have an evacuation plan ready to go if the evacuation orders are called >> reporter: fema says residents from north carolina to maine should look out for storm surge. a moving wall of water that could do terrible things to low-lying areas, highlighted here in blue. this is cape cod. in the path of earl, and home to half a million summer residents. the winds have already started to pick up. and the waves are certainly telling us tonight that something big is coming this way. if earl gets any closer, which everyone here hopes doesn't happen, there will certainly, diane, be many more evacuations called tomorrow, in many more places. >> as you told us, steve, these

are crucial hours right now, and as those emergency teams just warned, the hurricane could speed up and turn towards shore on a dime. so, let's bring in sam champion. he's in atlantic beach tonight. sam, give us a sense of the dimension of the storm. >> reporter: diane, this is a monster. not only is earl regained its category 4 strength, but look at the size of it on our 3d satellite image. 400 miles across. a little bit more than that, the size of this storm. and look at that eye getting better formed as it restrengthened during the day today. but that doesn't tell the whole story. the wind speeds here are just as kind of impressive. more than 200 miles from the center of this storm are tropical storm force winds. up to 73 miles an hour. 100 miles from the eye are hurricane force winds, anything from 74 miles or greater. and that means on its trip, right along the shoreline, earl has two places, it is likely to get close enough to push those 1 100-mile-an-hour winds, those 70 to 100-mile-an-hour winds, and that's right along the cape and also right on the carolina shore. everyone else as far as 80 miles inland will see very strong winds out of this storm.

and diane we just got a buoy measurement within the last hour. 30 foot waves near the center of earl. so just as steve said, there will be some big waves and coastal flooding and beach erosion, as well. diane? >> 30 foot waves. and you said 100 feet from the eye of the storm, you still get hurricane winds? >> reporter: 100 miles, that's right, from the eye of that storm. so -- and they're saying that storm can get as close as 70, 75 miles to the outer banks and also again to the cape. so that means there's a really good-sized area of land that will see hurricane force winds without a direct hit. >> watching and waiting for earl tonight. thank you, sam champion. and we turn now to that workplace nightmare played out on live tv today, and the target was television's discovery channel. police say a man armed with a gun and metal canisters raising the possibility of explosives, took hostages in the lobby of the discovery channel building outside washington, d.c. 1,900 people work there. in the day care center.

date, the latest on the tense standoff in silver springs this afternoon. pierre? >> reporter: diane, the shooter is now dead, shot by police. but it was a crazy tense day and still not over. police are worried that there may be more bombs in the building. as word spread that the gunman entered discovery channel's headquarters, children at the first floor day care center were the first evacuated. >> at 1:00 p.m. today, a man entered the discovery building. he came in and was wearing what appeared to be metallic canister devices on his front and back. he also pulled a handgun out, was waving a handgun. we're going on the assumption that they could be explosive devices. >> reporter: while the gunman took three hostages, the more than 1,900 employees were told by loud speaker in the building to run and hide in their offices. some in panic began to e-mail their loved ones. "very scared. on lockdown.

praying." as a local s.w.a.t. team and federal agents descended on the scene, evacuations continued. >> i have certainly heard that there's a hostage and i can't even think about that right now, it's just awful. >> we was really scared. we're panicking, nervous. all of those feelings, because we heard he had explosives, so we were really scared. >> reporter: the hostages were being held near the lobby, while the employees were evacuated out of the side and rear entrances. four hours after the incident began, police became concerned that the suspect was going to kill the hostages. the s.w.a.t. team took action. >> the suspect was shot by police officers. the device appeared to go off. there were three hostages. all the hostages are safe. >> reporter: law enforcement sources tell abc news they have identified the suspect as james lee. lee, seen here in this video, has protested at the discovery channel repeatedly, raising concerns about the environment and overpopulation.

he has been arrested at this very site before. lee is believed to have created this website called "save the planet protest." which makes a number of bizarre demands on the discovery channel, including requesting "programs encouraging human sterilization." lee further writes, "the planet does not need humans." police are still searching the building right now, diane. but on a positive note, they're just so happy that all those employees made it out safe. >> i'll say. it was sure a tense afternoon. thank you, pierre thomas. and next, we move overseas, where it happened. in iraq, the transition is official. there was a ceremony ending the u.s. combat role, after 7 1/2 years of war. the vice president presiding. 50,000 american troops remain there, in a support role. so, we asked dan harris to tell us the most vivid things he saw on this first day of iraq's new life. >> reporter: the thing that struck me most powerfully today came from the understated

defense secretary, robert gates, who was asked about whether the war was worth it. balance over time, i think, remains to be seen. >> reporter: remains to be seen. >> the united states and our allies have prevailed. >> reporter: what a stark contrast to that swashbuckling, and now infamous, photo-op from george w. bush. the lack of chest-thumping today, a reflection of both future uncertainties, and the enormous costs of this war. the second thing that struck me today was covering this change of command ceremony inside one of saddam's former palaces. the gaudy creation of a megalomaniac now populated by crisp, businesslike american servicemen and women. it's amazing for me to see how lived-in this place is now by americans. there are sand bags all over the place. they use the second floor as

offices. they even hold their most important ceremonies here. and finally, we noticed something new out here on the streets of baghdad, something that seems specifically designed to counter the widespread cynicism about whether the iraqi security forces are ready to take over from the americans. it is this poster. at the top of the poster, you see pictures of departing americans. and then at the bottom, you see a big picture of an iraqi police vehicle. and in arabic in the center, it says, "we're ready." dan harris, abc news, baghdad. and on a related issue, there was a new push for middle east peace accord under way in washington tonight. after meeting with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian leader mahmoud abbas, president obama walked into the rose garden late this afternoon. >> if we do not make the attempt, then failure is guaranteed. if both sides do not commit to these talks in earnest, then the

long-standing conflict will only continue to fester and consume another generation. and this, we simply cannot allow. >> and by the way, there will be a familiar face at the table, helping negotiate. former british prime minister tony blair, who sat down to talk about everyone from george w. bush to princess diana, with christiane amanpour of "this week." christiane, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, diane. and i spent a couple of hours with the former british prime minister, who has made at least 36 trips to the middle east in the last three years, trying to help build momentum for peace. the interview coincides with the release of his memoir, "a journey." tony blair explained that he sees the key to breaking the impasse in the middle east. you say the biggest problem with the middle east peace process is that no one has ever gripped it long enough or firmly enough. the gripping is intermittent and intermittent won't do, it doesn't work. if it was gripped, it would be solved.

you also say in your book that president bush -- his heart wasn't really into it. >> well, they came to grip it but it was late on in the presidency and that's the important distinction with president obama now. i mean, i -- i think you cannot overstate the importance of president obama coming in, saying, right from the beginning, we're going to grip this. because that allows you, you see, to go through what will inevitably be the ups and downs. >> reporter: and as combat in iraq ends, blair describes his regret at the lives lost. his book is a personal reflection of the many relationships he had with presidents, prime ministers and even princesses, like diana. you were right there when her whole sort of final phase of relationships, she had divorced prince charles, she had the two children, obviously and she was going out with dodi fayed. that was causing consternation you write, and you had to confront her about it. >> i talked to her about it, and i was worried.

>> reporter: what was the issue? >> i mean, obviously it was an unusual relationship to be in. >> reporter: you say that buckingham palace saw her as a threat. >> well, they admired her, but she was such a sort of in one sense, she was such a different type of person that for a very traditional monarchy, it was a you know, as i say, it was a kind of meteor coming into what had been a fairly well-disciplined, well-ordered ecosystem. but at the same time, she was immensely popular with the people. >> reporter: and on the middle east peace during our conversation, the former prime minister made it clear that we'll know pretty soon, by the end of this month, if there's a real chance that the talks will continue, and meet president obama's goal of a deal in a year. diane? >> all right, christiane, thank you. and we'll be watching this sunday for more on tony blair. and also tomorrow on "good morning america." and another victory to report for the tea party tonight against a main stream

republican. after a week of hanging on, eight-year alaskan republican senator lisa murkowski threw in the towel in her primary race, conceding to joe miller, a newcomer, who was backed by sarah palin and the tea party. murkowski is now the fourth republican congressional incumbent knocked out by the tea party in the primaries. and still ahead on "world news", michael douglas talked about his cancer, and we take a deeper look at what kind of drinking can cause cancer. big news today about botox shots. why the manufacturer has agreed to plead guilty. and, surprising news. what is this big change for women and money? we speak value. and people like what we're saying. about how fusion is projected to hold its resale value better than camry.

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and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. i had fun today, grandpa. you and me both. if copd is still making it hard to breathe, ask your doctor if including advair will help improve your lung function for better breathing. get your first full prescription free and save on refills. you may have heard about the moving conversation last night with actor michael douglas on david letterman's show. it was about his diagnosis with throat cancer. undiagnosed for weeks, even though he said he was hoarse, had a sore threat. and one of the principle risk factors he talked about was alcohol. so, we decided to look more closely into questions about drinking and cancer. and here's ron claiborne. >> reporter: talking about it for the first time on david letterman's show, douglas said he had stage four throat cancer, most advanced stage, which means

it is large or could be spreading. >> i've got cancer. found out about it three weeks ago. >> reporter: douglas said he had complained to doctors earlier in the summer of a persistent sore throat, but the cancer went undetected for weeks, until a walnut-sized tumor was found on the base of his tongue. the 64-year-old blamed his cancer on years of smoking and drinking. >> i smoke cigarettes and i drank. this particular type of canter is caused by alcohol, drinking. >> reporter: almost everyone knows smoking causes cancer. fewer know the risk posed by alcohol. >> alcohol is classified as carcinogenic to humans. >> reporter: heavy drinking, at least four drinks a day, has been linked to oral, liver, colon and rectal cancers. even moderate drinking, at least one a day for women, can increase the risk of breast cancer. >> the relationship between alcohol drinking and cancer seems to be independent of the type of alcohol you drink. >> reporter: doesn't matter if

it's beer, wine, vodka, rum, you're still getting the same risk? >> yeah. >> reporter: the actual mechanism by which alcohol causes cancer isn't fully understood. one leading theory, the ethanol in liquor metabolizing to a known car sin kncinogen. for breast cancer, it appears to alter estrogen levels. the cancer risk from alcohol has been highlighted by studies of mormons in utah. mormons, who aren't supposed to drink, have much lower rates of oral and breast cancer than nonmormons. douglas says the cancer has not spread below his neck. he began chemotherapy and radiation a week ago. he says doctors have given him a good chance of beating his cancer. >> percentages are very good. i would hate to say, but right now, looks should be 80%. >> reporter: and that is a five-year survival rate of 80% that he's talking about. an in fact, depending on the kind of oral cancer that michael douglas has, that is not at all unrealistic. not even for advanced stage four

cancer, diane. >> i want to go back to drinking and smoking. drinking alone is a risk factor. but add smoking to it and then what? >> reporter: that is what researchers call a multiplier effect. the american cancer society says that if you drink and smoke together, at the same time, you're increasing your risk for oral cancers from anywhere from 2 to 100 times as much as either of those separately. >> even 100 times as much. and again, he talked about having done both. thank you, ron claiborne. and there are other asked questions, and we have the answers to five of them on our website, as well as a list of resources you can turn to for help. and when we return, botox shots lead to a $600 million fine. what's that about? ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors.

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side effects include dry mouth, constipation and trouble passing urine. i'm glad i'm taking spiriva everyday because breathing better is just better. ask your doctor if once-daily spiriva is right for you. and two more medical notes now. the first, about alzheimer's and demeant dementia. there is a new study that found mentally stimulating activities, reading and solving puzzles, that they can indeed delay the outset of alzheimer's disease, but not prevent it for good. in fact, when alzheimer's finally hits, it comes on rather quickly and in this mentally active population, especially. no one is exactly sure why, but mental stimulation does seem to buy time before it begins. and, the maker of botox took a hit today for the way the product has been promoted. allergan will pay $600 million to settle criminal charges and civil charges. why?

for encouraging doctors to give botox shots for conditions that have little to do with wrinkles. for instance, headaches. the government says those uses were untested, and that is against the law. and sometimes, we all just need a smile. so, today, we want to show you the new video that was rocketing around the internet. a dog named carrie who loves to dance the merengue. ♪ as we said, sometimes you just got to marvel at this wide, wide world. and when we return, surprising news about women, men and money. financing their fleet, sharing our expertise, and working with people who are changing the face of business in america. after 25 years in the aviation business, i kind of feel like if you're not having fun at what you do, then you've got the wrong job.

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it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better. and nature approves. granola nut clusters from nature valley. and finally, it's long been a conventional fact of life in the workplace. women are paid less than men for the same work. on average, earning about 80 cents on the dollar. but a brand new analysis of census data stands that convention on its head, for some women. which ones? here's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: danielle is one of new york's top designers. and like many young women across the country, she now earns more than many of her male counterparts.

>> people take you seriously when you're expensive, so i think that's part of the reason why i charge what i charge. >> reporter: she's not alone. on average, women are now making 8% more than men. >> i think that's fantastic. it gives me, actually, a little more encouragement to raise my prices even more. >> reporter: but there is one caveat, and it's a big one. are you married? >> no. >> reporter: do you have children? >> no. >> reporter: it turns out those women making more money, they're unmarried. they don't have little ones at home and they're all under the age of 30. so, for the rest of us? we still have some hurdles. >> men tend to work more hours than women. women tend to take time off for childbirth or for taking care of potentially parents. >> reporter: but why the sudden reversal with young women? well, the answer can be found in any college classroom. for every two guys who graduate college today, three women do. and we know college graduates earn almost $30,000 more than high school graduates.

and in some cities, young women aren't just earning more than the guys, they're clobbering them. earning 12% more than men in l.a. 14% more in raleigh and charlotte. and in new york, women are making 17% more than men. for thousands of young women, it is a reason to celebrate. and they'll have no problem picking up the tab. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> one postcard from a changing world. hope you have a great wednesday night and that we see you right back here tomorrow. we'll be here. good night. four people murdered, a man missing and a house full of bomb-making chemicals. a killing spree ends with a high-speed chase. >> experts weigh in on this disturbing video we've been showing you this, police act proper -- did police act properly?

>> and ahead on 7 on your side results from a pg&e investigation into a customers smart meter complaints. >> and new weapons in the entertainment arsenal at apple tonight. one of them could change television as we know it forever. >> the search for a body behind this parking lot is the latest chapter in what now appears to be a week-long murder spree. a series of killings left four people dead and one man missing. >> it began to unfold last night in richmond. the suspect was shot dead after a high-speed chase, the body found in his car, police wanted it for a death of a man on saturday, the disappearance of that man's son, and murders of two women, whose bodies were found yesterday afternoon. >> we are live on the story for us tonight. let's begin